The Will of the Force
by sde001
Summary: Frozen in carbonite, Cal Kestis wakes up over a thousand years in the future, altering the future of Remnant while finding his purpose in the world, and the force.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything_

_Chapter 1_

* * *

Cal Kestis felt like shit.

He had just gained consciousness, but he couldn't see, he couldn't hear, he could barely even _feel _anything, and he had no clue why. And on top of that, was of course, the pain. It hit him suddenly, and it hit like a _truck_. Instantly, the boy jolted, groaning from agony.

His bones, his brain, his _everything_ ached like hell, and his head felt like it was being poked through with a lightsaber. _Perhaps it had?_ The newly christened jedi wracked his head, trying to recollect his memories, only to be frustrated when his efforts yielded naught. _Great. Everything hurts, I can't see, and on top of that, I have short term memory issues. Bloody fabulous._

There was something- just on the tip of his mind... _A man covered by the dark side, a blazing red sword- a red lightsaber... A sith lord? _The name came to him naturally, flowing into his mind as he connected the pieces, but he had no idea _what exactly _it meant, nor did he know what it entailed. He just knew that he didn't like it. Whatever a sith lord was, he didn't like it at all.

And there was something else. Some other significant detail he was missing. _Many other significant details he was missing. _It was all _grey_, like he knew everything he needed, but he couldn't call it to his mind. _There must be some way- some way I can call it all back. _He wasn't sure why, but he felt the urge- the _need_ to claim back his memories. Like something huge depended on it. Like- like...

_Like a force._

Something was significant about that word. Somehow, that word had been a huge part of him. _No, not just a huge part of me. A huge part of **everyone.**_

Like a trigger, his sight started to recover. His visible world steadily started to change from a void, completely devoid of color, into an actual landscape. Like a butterfly effect, his hearing started to come back too. It returned much more slowly, but he started to hear the faintest...

_Screams._

Suddenly alert, Cal's senses went on overload, and he was given a sensory explosion. Everything returned back to him in perfect condition almost instantly. His vision, hearing, _everything. _And naturally, he could hear the screams in full portion now. On instinct, he stood up, and looked around cautiously before he dropped something to the ground.

_Huh?_ He picked it up- it was a cube shaped object, blue and filled with light. It was a _jedi holocron._

In that instant, everything returned to him once more, and he was given his second overload of the day. His memories returned in full blast as the pieces finally connected together. _Cere, Merrin, Greez, Trilla, Holocron, Sith Lord, Jedi, Force, Darth Vader, Jaro Tapal, Empire- _names scattered throughout his past hit him in full blast. It was all he could do to stop himself from collapsing onto the cold hard floor. Cal scowled, suddenly filled with information that frankly, he wasn't sure how to handle.

He took a moment to gather his surroundings once more. He was in a large, open room, with its walls being made out of polished metal. It looked elegant and impressive. _But it doesn't look like something the imperials would make. If that was the case, there would be much more black, and red too. Lots more red. _The color scheme of the room was a shining silver that reflected the glint of the sun. That was of course, because the ceiling had been brutally torn off. Quite recently, if his eyes weren't lying.

He then took the time to look behind him, and finally realized _why in the world _he had woken up in such a terrible state. And by the force, he didn't like it at all. _No way... This opens up way too many possibilities, too many variables. _Behind him, was the very thing he dreaded- a solid rectangular prism with a rocky exterior, and a few gimmicky buttons laying on the side.

Carbonite- used to freeze someone in time, particularly infamous for being often used to hang up living creatures as decorations. _And it seems, that's exactly what it's been used for. _In front of him, was a velvet carpet and a glass box. _So, I'm a decoration now. Amazing._

Using muscle memory, his right hand instinctively went over to his side, his fingers grasping upon a familiar cylindrical hilt. He couldn't help but smile in relief that his most valued possession- his life, as his master had taught him- had followed him into the carbonite.

With the flip of a switch, a single, glowing azure blade sprung out of the hilt, and he stabbed the glass with it, fluidly recalling his old fighting style. It instantly shattered around him. _Seems like they didn't use the strongest material to keep me contained. But then again, I doubt whoever hung me up as a decoration expected me to escape. _Speaking of which, how in the world _did he escape?_

Either way, that was a problem for later. First, he needed to address what he had put in the back of his mind- the screams that he had constantly been hearing. Locating what seemed to be the exit- a small door the size of a tall human- Cal sprinted forwards towards it, his lightsaber triggered.

And then, a part of the wall shattered, and a black creature entered the room. _Now that I take a closer look, it seems to be a wolf. _The creature- which he presumed to be a wolf- had red eyes and pitch black fur. Cal sensed there was something severely wrong with the creature, but couldn't figure out what.

He didn't have time to think on the topic further, as the creature let loose a feral howl and leaped towards him with an animistic ferocity. His muscle memory serving him once more, Cal raised his saber in defense, switching over to form 3- Soresu- to increase his defense. The form usually worked better with blaster bolts rather than physical strikes, but it gave him lots of leeway to defend himself when faced with an unknown opponent.

This opponent was completely unknown, making it all the more dangerous. It also helped that Soresu was one of the only 2 forms that he had mastered. His short time as a jedi padawan made it harder to learn all seven forms properly. He had previously mastered Soresu and Ataru, or at least, he had become proficient at them, but he was severely lacking in any of the other styles of combat- save for perhaps form 1.

The creature attacked, opening its mouth and closing in for a bite of Cal's limbs.

The jedi reacted instinctively, lightly stepping out of the way of the creature's face and swinging his saber upwards, instantly beheading his opponent. The creature dissolved into dust, and Cal finally realized what he had been missing. _Somehow, that creature doesn't have any connection to the force._ Even if someone wasn't a jedi, all living things would be surrounded by the force. And yet, this creature lacked that connection altogether. It gave off a dark, frightening presence that even a sith lord couldn't match. Everything about it just felt _wrong_, especially to someone as sensitive to the force as he was.

Soon, even the remains of the creature weren't visible. Sensing no further danger from it, Cal turned off his lightsaber and resumed his sprint towards the door, and made his way out of the room.

Instantly, he was tackled by something _large. _The jedi's eyes widened and he groaned, recalling the familiar weight of the Albino Wyyyshokk spider that he had previously faced. Whatever this thing was, it was _heavy._ _And itchy, and furry..._ Suspecting that it was another creature, Cal reached out to it with the force, and found again- that it had no connection to it.

With a flip of his saber switch, it was sent dissolving into the air. For the sake of time, Cal used the force to push off its dissolving corpse into the air, finally standing up and scanning his surroundings. What he then saw, filled him with a sense of dread, as he finally realized the reason for the screams he had previously heard.

All around him, people were running away, screaming in terror. And in front of him, approached a horde of the same creatures as the two he had encountered. Monsters of all shapes and sizes- birds, bears, even _insects_ stormed the area, with only a few people fighting them- Cal simply assumed that they were the local law enforcement, _even if they look **way** too colorful compared to what I'm used to... _In the end, he would thankfully whatever help he would get. _I just hope that these aren't some special version of stormtroopers..._

Cal then leaped into the fray, switching his style to form 4- Ataru- to give him the offensive edge. With the creatures all going down with the single stroke of a lightsaber- contrary to what he was used to with some of the more challenging monsters he had previously faced- the jedi became an overwhelming force in the battlefield. Although he wasn't nearly close to being fully trained, his opponents were clunky, and more importantly, predictable. It made his work all the more easier.

The jedi slashed through another bear-like creature, using the force to push back a wolf that attacked instantly after. _Although, I have to admit. When it comes to numbers, these creatures have it all settled for them. _Just as the thought passed his head, he felt a heavy blow on his back, and the jedi was sent flying into a wall.

Whatever these creatures were, they were physically strong. Much stronger than the creatures that he had faced previously. The jedi suddenly dropped to one knee, his adrenaline fading and his exhaustion settling in. Seizing the apparent opportunity, a wolf-like creature jumped high into the sky, its claws aimed towards him, poised to strike. Cal raised his saber in defense, but the wolf never had the chance to strike him- as a red blur crashed into it while it was still in the air. Cal watched in wonder as the blur- revealed to be a girl around his age- ran around at supersonic speeds, instantly killing the creature with a scythe at least three times her size.

He had seen many things in his life, but he had to admit- that was something he hadn't expected at all. The force allowed jedi to do amazing things, but running at that high of a speed was completely new to him. It made him wonder _where exactly in the galaxy he had been stuck in._

After she had made waste of the creature, the girl suddenly ran up to him and brought her face _dangerously close_ with his lightsaber. Widening his eyes, Cal instantly switched it off, reacting quickly before the girl could burn off her face. It was even more terrifying considering that she had moved in the blink of an eye.

Gasping suddenly, the girl looked up at him. Now that he looked closer, he noticed that she was short- extremely short, and had strange looking silver eyes that somehow seemed to sparkle. Yet, he sensed that this girl had no special connection to the force- she was definitely more sensitive than normal civilians he had encountered, but she wasn't jedi material. Nowhere close to it. The girl looked at him for a brief moment, her eyes sparkling and an astounded expression on her face. It made him slightly nervous for what she would do next.

"IS THAT A LASER SWORD!?"

Cal took a step backwards at the loudness of her voice. Not bothering to explain exactly how a lightsaber used plasma instead of light- contrary to popular belief- he simply replied, "Sure...?" in a sheepish tone. _It feels weird hearing my own voice again._

"Ohmygodthat'ssocoolpleasecanItou-"

At that moment, another creature leaped towards Cal and the girl, poised to attack. Unfortunately, said girl was still rambling on. _The girl's way too distracted right now, and I won't be able to get in front of her in time to prevent the full burst of damage. I could push it back with the force, but I'm not sure I have the energy to do that right now, and I can't exactly absorb the damage myself. It's too risky._

Then, he mentally slapped his face for forgetting his most basic technique. _I need to improve my reflexes much more... I've become dulled. _Raising his left hand, he channeled the force around him to slow the creature down in mid-air. It was a basic, rudimentary force technique, and quite possibly the only one he could pull off without collapsing. As soon as the creature was slowed down, Cal triggered his saber once more and sped towards the creature, slicing it in half with a wide, overhead arc. The creature instantly started dissolving, and the jedi was forced onto his knees once more. He was facing exhaustion. _Where's BD-1 right now? I could sure use a stim..._

"Woah! Are you ok, laser sword man?" the girl asked. Ignoring his new nickname, Cal nodded, appreciating the genuine concern in her voice.

"Thank you. I think I'll be fine, I just need a moment to catch my breath. What's your name?" Cal asked the girl.

"Ruby. Ruby Rose." she responded.

"Cal Kestis. By the way, do you have any idea where we are right now?" Cal asked, taking the opportunity to get to know his surroundings better, as there weren't any creatures approaching at the moment. The local police seemingly had taken care of most of them. _They're definitely more skilled than stormtroopers alright._

The girl looked at him oddly for a moment, but answered anyways. "We're in Vale, of course! There's been a breach just now, and a bunch of Grimm entered the city!" _Grimm, that must be what the creatures are called, _Call deducted. Then, the girl suddenly scrunched up her face, and looked at him suspiciously. "Hmm, you actually look like that man from the museum exhibit that Weiss took me to last week!"

_Museum exhibit? _Cal asked himself in disbelief. _I was... hung up on a museum?_

All of this was way too new to him, and he had no idea how to deal with any of it. Fighting the empire and killing stormtroopers, or dealing with inquisitors and protecting holocrons- that he could do. Being hung up on a museum exhibit and almost accidentally burning an infectiously energetic girl's face off with a lightsaber?

That was uncharted territory.

The girl looked at him like a fresh piece of meat, examining him to the point where he felt slightly uncomfortable. "Yeah! Same clothes, same face and hair, same everything! That's weird... Are you some sort of cosplayer? Because a thousand year old artifact's a weird thing to cosplay as!"

_Thousand year old artifact?_

Cal couldn't handle it anymore. He had been encased in carbonite, and hung up in a museum, for _over a thousand years._

The jedi took a deep breath in, before collapsing from both mental and physical exhaustion.

"Hey wait! Mr. Kestis? Cal!?" yelled Ruby, but her words were barely heard from the exhausted jedi as he collapsed onto the cold hard floor.

* * *

_Beep..._

_Beep..._

_Beep..._

Cal's eyes snapped open to a white room, his head lightly aching and his memory fuzzy. _What happened again? __I remember monsters, and the girl-_

_The girl._

It hit him once again. _The carbonite, of course. How could I forget the carbonite? According to the girl, I've been encased in it for over a thousand years..._

If the girl was right, that meant Cere, Greez, Merrin- they were all dead, unless they had somehow encased themselves in carbonite as well. But he couldn't count on those chances, as much as he wanted to. _And besides, I feel my connection with them through the force has disappeared. That could only mean one thing..._

Cal frowned, before suddenly feeling a surge of- frustration? Sadness? Anger? Hate? He wasn't quite sure how exactly he was _supposed _to feel, as he had no idea what in the world had led him to such a scenario. But regardless of the circumstances, the jedi felt a great wave of negativity wash over him. _The moment I found somewhere I can belong, it was snatched away from me, and I don't even know how._

Was it the sith lord? Darth Vader, with his terrifying strength and control over the force? Or had it been something more coincidental that had led him to his current circumstances? _An imperial assault, and a crash landing, maybe?_ The jedi wracked his head for answers, but found none. Unlike last time, his mind was completely devoid of memories. There was nothing on the tip of his tongue- nothing that could give him a clue. _The last thing I remember is running away from Vader- I don't remember how it ended. Maybe it went wrong... Speaking of which-_

He pulled out the jedi holocron in his vest pocket, and briefly examined it. It hadn't lost its light over the last thousand years, and it still glowed with a warm blue light, radiating the ancient aura of the jedi order. _All that effort, just to end up in a place where holocrons have no use. Just my luck._

He took the time to take in his surroundings. He was lying on his back, on a comfy bed, and he was in a room with white, marble walls- presumably a hospital. Looking towards his arm, he saw a small needle injecting fluids into his blood. _Some kind of stim, maybe?_ He wondered. He certainly did feel much better compared to when he had first woken up in... _Vale,_ the girl had called it. The land of Vale. _It sounds quite foreign to me._ As far as he was concerned, there was no such planet in the outer and inner rims... But then again, if the girl was correct, a thousand years had passed, and much could have changed since then.

Feeling well and curious enough, Cal used the force to slowly remove the wrapping around his injection, and telepathically remove it from his arm. It came off smoothly without any problems, but as soon as the needle left his body, the monitor next to him started beeping alarmingly loudly. _What the kriff?_

Cal froze, not knowing what in the world he had to do. No amount of jedi training had prepared him for a situation like the one he was in now. He had no idea how to respond to what was happening. Before he knew it, a woman with a white dress had scurried over to his bedside with an astounded look in her face.

"Oh, you're awake! I'll get the professor right now!" said the woman. Cal scratched his head in response, puzzled.

Before he could properly respond back to the woman however, she scurried off once more, and a strange looking man came in her stead.

The man had grey hair, but his face was young. His clothes were black and green, and he held an odd looking cane in his hand. But most importantly, Cal sensed an overwhelming amount of _force_ radiating from the man; he gave off an aura of immense power, wisdom, and age. Except- the strange thing was, the man wasn't connected to the force in the same way that he was, or Trilla or Cere was. Instead, he seemed to have a connection to something else, similar to the force, perhaps- and had enough of a powerful connection to it to give off a similar aura to a powerful force user. It made him dangerous, but it piqued Cal's curiosity.

_What in the world?_

How in the world did things get so confusing? _When_ did they get so confusing? Before Cal's head could come up with an answer to such questions, the man opened his mouth and spoke.

"Hello, Mr. Kestis. My name is professor Ozpin, and welcome to Beacon academy." the man- professor Ozpin- said. Cal briefly nodded in response, his head putting the pieces together. _Beacon academy, that must be the name of the building I'm in. Presumably, judging by the name, it's some kind of school. _Ozpin then smiled slightly- _an expression trained to give away no information whatsoever_, Cal noted.

"I assume that you have heard of me and this school, Mr. Kestis? While your expression states the contrary, the existence of myself and my school are quite renowned throughout the land. Not to be egotistical, of course." said Ozpin. Cal reached out with the force towards Ozpin, trying to find out _anything_, any intent behind his words, but there was something blocking him- like the mental barriers that the jedi learnt to put up early on in their training, except much more firm and stable- and he couldn't derive anything whatsoever. Frowning slightly at his failure, Cal simply shook his head, telling the truth. He found no point in lying at this point in time.

Ozpin's smile widened ever so slightly. The movement was barely noticeable, but it was certainly there. _And he meant for me to see it. What kind of man is this person?_

"I have to admit, that is a bit of a surprise, Mr. Kestis, but a welcome one. After all, even I found myself in disbelief after I read in the news that a museum artifact had reshaped itself during the attack on Vale. I was quite fond of that statue, mind you, Mr. Kestis. Its commitment to realism was admirable, even if it did look incomplete- but then again, art is to be appreciated for its flaws, is it not?" asked Ozpin, with a knowing expression peppered on his face. Cal found himself slightly curious, and equally frustrated. He had to admit, when it came to interrogations, the man was an expert at it. He gave away no emotion or hints, save for the ones that he wanted to give out. It was like he was being interrogated by an old jedi master. It was equally terrifying, and astonishing at the same time.

The jedi only gulped in response to the man's question. He had no idea what to say in such a situation. _Everything is new to me here- there's no guidebook, no code to follow. _Cal found himself at a loss as to what decisions he was supposed to, and not supposed to make. _Maybe it's my surroundings, maybe it's just the fact that I have a headache. But either way, it isn't good._

"So, Mr. Kestis. When Ms. Rose admitted a patient that looked eerily like the statue from the museum, I couldn't help but be... interested, you might say. And on top of that, you seem to be using a weapon that is unparalleled by today's standards of technology. Again, I found myself astonished when Ms. Rose described a "laser sword" that chopped grimm in half. However, once again, you broke my expectations." said Ozpin. Then, the man suddenly lifted his right hand, holding up an all too familiar hilt. _My lightsaber- I didn't even notice it was gone._

Ozpin flipped on the switch, and the saber turned on, an azure glow filling the room. Ozpin briefly looked at it before making eye contact with him again. "Superheated plasma, yes? It is certainly impressive- a technological marvel indeed. Generations ahead of anything we are capable of creating today. To have a machine of such small size, and yet- such precision and stability when handling an extremely dangerous energy. It is truly astonishing to see such a thing."

Before Ozpin could say anything more, Cal reached out to the force, and pulled back his weapon towards his hand, deactivating the blade in the process. He had no intention of letting go of his lightsaber here. He needed it more than ever. _But he said something about the lightsaber being generations ahead of current technology- could he be telling the truth? The lightsaber's been around for ages though... If he isn't lying, then this could complicate things even further. _Cal frowned at the implications of his situation.

Ozpin merely chuckled in response. "A telekinetic semblance as well. My my, Mr. Kestis. You certainly have an interesting skillset. A powerful offence, and a versatile form of protection. If you had been less morally grounded, then you would no doubt- cause much harm." Cal had to stop himself from scowling in response, recalling his memories from the holocron- teaching the future generation of jedi, only to become an inquisitor in the end. Faithfully serving the empire.

"Hit a soft spot, have I? In any case, I apologize for possible personal offences, and I shall cut the small talk." Ozpin said.

"I appreciate it. Thank you." Cal said. At the very least, the man sounded genuinely apologetic, and didn't seem like the person to personally offend him- or anyone, for that matter.

"Mr. Kestis, after judging your performance during the attack on Vale- which many professors have been impressed by- I have decided to open up the offer for you to join my school. We are a prestigious institution that trains hunters and huntresses to protect the world in the future- and we are facing grave times. Your abilities could assist us greatly."

_There's something he's not telling me._ Cal immediately thought. The man was hiding something- there was an exterior motive behind his words and decisions. _But..._ Judging by the attack that he had gone through before he had woken up here, Ozpin was telling the truth when he had said that the world was facing grave times. And he had sworn to himself that if he could save any more lives, he would. Otherwise, he wouldn't be a jedi. He had hid in shame throughout the age of the empire, fearful of being hunted down- and that was his greatest mistake. This time, he wouldn't just stand by and watch. Not when he could make a difference.

"I accept your offer." Cal stated firmly, and Ozpin broke into a smile.

"Thank you for your decision, Mr. Kestis. And if it relieves you, we _will_ cover for your academic fees and costs of living- seeing as you most likely do not have the proper funding to attend a school such as this one. I would normally advise you to stay in bed, but something inside me suspects that you will be completely fine being dismissed from the hospital at this time. Feel free to roam the academy at will. I will contact you when your accommodations are ready." Ozpin said, before handing a small device to Cal. "This, Mr. Kestis, is a scroll. It is a piece of technology widely used in Vale, that allows us access to information, calling, and entertainment, among other features. Please keep it with you."

Cal took it, and put it in his vest.

Now, if you may excuse me, I have other matters to attend to, at the moment. Please allow me to excuse myself. I bid you good luck, Mr. Kestis. Welcome to Beacon Academy."

With that, Ozpin left, and Cal was left to roam free. The jedi rose from his bed, checking one last time to make sure all of his belongings were there. _Lightsaber? Check. Holocron? Check, even if it's useless now. _Then, he stood up, and exited the hospital room, aiming to head to one place.

_If this is really a school, than it should have a library._

* * *

Indeed, there was a library- a giant one, in fact. It was nothing compared to the archives of data that belonged to the jedi, but it was still big enough that he had trouble navigating it. In a few hours worth of studying, he had figured out the basic details of his new, possibly permanent home. The world of remnant was divided into 4 kingdoms, and it was plagued with the threat of monsters called Grimm.

And most importantly, it had come nowhere close to interplanetary travel. Cal felt his heart drop when he had found such a fact out, even if he was previously skeptical of the land's technological capabilities. However, he had to admit, the weapons that shifted and changed between forms was interesting.

Aura was also a topic of interest. It was similar to the force in a sense- at least, judging from the description that his book provided- but it was completely different too. The force was an energy that wrapped around everybody, and so was Aura, but Aura provided a shield for people, and allowed them to have unique powers, while the force was- he had to admit- much more versatile, but at the same time, much more predictable in how its users could manifest its energy. It was certainly an interesting subject.

That was when suddenly, he sensed something coming towards him- and quickly too.

He turned around and got into a defensive pose, only to slightly lower it once he figured out _who_ exactly had been coming towards him. It was the girl- Ruby Rose- and another girl, this one with blonde hair and illiac eyes. Just like Ruby, the girl gazed at him like a steak. Like a hunk of meat, waiting to be judged.

_Is this going to be a regular_ thing? The jedi quickly found himself getting slightly uncomfortable.

Then, Cal suddenly felt a powerful grip on his arm, and before he knew it, he had been dragged out of the library by the illiac eyed girl. _She's quite strong. In fact, she might even be more physically fit than the ninth sister. _He wondered what it would feel like to get punched by her, and mentally shuddered.

"Sup?" The blonde girl said. "Name's Yang Xiao Long. Came here to see who in the world Ruby's been obsessing over for the past few days- and I gotta say, I'm a bit unimpressed." Ruby only flushed in response, and weakly tried to slap the taller girl.

"Yaang~! Don't put it like that! It makes me look weird!" yelled Ruby, the girl slightly pouting. Yang only laughed in response. _This world is crazy, bring me back to where I was before._ Cal silently dreaded.

"Hehe. So, Red! What about you has my sister so _interested?_ I mean, she was practically jumping out of the bed to see how you were holdin'- MMPH!" the older girl was silenced, as Ruby jumped on her back and swiftly clapped his hands over the blonde's mouth.

_Well, on the other hand, at least this is a change of pace compared to running from the empire. At the very least, judging by these two, this academy won't be boring._

As Ruby was finally flung off her sister's back, she quickly recovered and took the floor before Yang could speak. "SO! Cal! I think it would be nice for you to meet the other members of our team! Isthatfinewithyou? Okit'sfine? Thenoffwego!" Before Cal had an opportunity to speak, he felt a hand pulling on his arm, but unfortunately for the puller, the jedi was way too heavy. Ruby briefly struggled against the jedi, with the latter being more confused than anything. Eventually however, the girl gave up, before looking back towards him with a pout.

"Please come willingly?"

_This place is insane._ Cal immediately thought.

Still, he followed the girl anyways. He had seemingly covered most of remnant's basics, and he had nothing better to anyways.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

**Well, chapter one is complete! This is a story I've had in mind for a while, ever since I've completed Fallen Order! Although Cal Kestis is a bit generic as a protagonist, what I love about him is that he has a ton of room to grow, giving him good potential as both a character and a protagonist! This story won't stick with RWBY canon by the way. Cal's appearance is going to shift a lot of things.**

**Please leave a review if you liked it!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything_

_**Chapter 2**_

* * *

When Cal first met the _team_ that Ruby had dragged him off to introduce him to, his very first thought was, _Is everything here color-coded?_ It was honestly fascinating to him how 1) people could wear high heels and dresses at a combat school, and 2) everything, and by everything he meant _everything_ seemed to be color coded.

"Hey guys! This is Cal, the guy with the laser sword I was talking about!" the reaper yelled enthusiastically to two girls in her dormitory room. One was a short girl with a snow white dress and white hair, and one was a girl with black hair and yellow, catlike eyes. Additionally, the black haired girl had a giant bow tie on her head that almost looked comical to the jedi, who was more accustomed to battle armor-clad troopers and dull, blandly colored helmets. _It also seems like both of them are strong in the force. Not nearly enough in jedi standards, but I feel a more powerful pulse coming from them compared to Ruby and Yang. _Out of all the people he had encountered in Remnant so far, the black haired girl had the greatest concentration of force energy thus far, although strangely, instead of flowing throughout her entire body, a big portion of it seemed to circle around her head- the bow in specific. _Is it possible that the bow is causing the concentration of force energy? That would theoretically be impossible._

Noting his observations in his head, the jedi raised his hand towards the two strangers and waved. _I hope that the greeting customs haven't changed... _He thought in nervousness. _Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've felt completely safe in a while. Usually, I would have to blend in the crowd, and keep my hood up wherever I went to keep away from the imperials. This... This is a fresh start._ He wondered whether that was a good thing or not. _Either way, this feels **wrong**. Why is it me that was given a fresh start? Why me out of all people? _Cal wondered what exactly was his purpose here. _Everything happens for a reason... The force wills it so. I thought it was that same will that put me here in this situation... The same will that gave me an opportunity to start anew..._ But the more he contemplated it, the less enthusiastic he became about his situation.

Then, he felt a push at his back, and the young jedi stumbled into the RWBY dorm room. The door slammed shut behind him to his dismay, and suddenly, he felt like a lab animal.

"So... Show us!" yelled Ruby suddenly. Cal shifted his expression into a questioning one, albeit with no malicious intent. He looked at RWBY's team leader curiously.

"Show what?" Cal asked. It was a simple enough question, but the girl deadpanned at him, before widening her eyes and flailing her arms towards him. The jedi took a step backwards, partly in surprise, partly to avoid getting slapped on the face.

"Show us your laser sword!" the girl exclaimed.

_Oh. Of course._ He hadn't forgotten the dangerous amount of enthusiasm the girl had when she ran up to his lightsaber. _It's probable that remnant doesn't have anything even close to a weapon like this, so I suppose it's understandable. _Somehow, the reaper's statement perked the interest of the previously indifferent white haired girl as well, who perked up with a curious expression.

"Ah, right. Ruby's been talking about it non-stop since the Breach. I would like to see it too. A piece of technology like that is quite astonishing. I am curious, how is it powered? Does it run off a consistent energy source? Where does the color come from? How is the grip able to contain the energy and heat, given its size?" the girl asked. Frankly, Cal didn't have any of the answers to her questions. He had gone through the steps of building and repairing lightsabers, but he wasn't sure of the exact sciences of how they worked.

"It's made out of superheated plasma, for one. And the color... Comes from a crystal, hard as it may be to believe. As for the other questions, I'm not sure." responded Cal. Then, he pulled off his lightsaber hilt off of his belt, and powered it on. Instantly, the hilt ejaculated a glowing blue blade that emitted an azure light. Ruby looked like she was in pure ecstasy, the white haired girl looked at it curiously, and even the black haired one- the most indifferent thus far- showed interest in the weapon. _I guess that's one thing that hasn't changed. Lightsabers attract attention._ The boy started to feel awfully like a caged entertainment animal after a few moments, and switched it off. The azure glow retreated, and the blade retracted into the hilt.

"Gotta admit, that does look pretty cool." said Yang, whistling.

"Fascinating! It's astounding how such a small device can hold and maintain such high and potent levels of energy, all the while remaining immunized to the heat! I assume that the blade operates off heat energy?" the white haired girl asked. It was slightly amusing to have someone observe the lightsaber in such a science-oriented manner. Usually, people's reactions went from extremely relieved, to deadbeat murderous, with no middle ground in between. _I have to admit, the girl's attitude is refreshing._

"Can it transform into a gun!?" Ruby asked. Cal shook his head, chuckling at the memory of his master calling the lightsaber, "_An elegant weapon for a more civilized age._" Although the blasters were less finesse-oriented compared to lightsabers, he had to admit- having one was essential during his years of hiding, when he couldn't pull out his saber. Nowhere in his life had he ever considered however, fully _integrating_ a blaster into a lightsaber, or vice versa. The simple thought of it would have driven the jedi council mad.

He found it both interesting and frightening that he found _that_ idea funny. _Is this what Malicos went through? _His time as a survivor after the great purge had been an awakening to him on how awfully _sheltered_ the jedi were. As hard as it was for him to admit, although he still agreed with the core values of the jedi- confidence, discipline, selflessness, and calm- he was also confident that the order was doomed to fail at one point. _That's one thing Malicos got right at least._ It was a frightening thought.

"Oh yeah! I forgot, this is Weiss," Ruby suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the white haired girl, "and this is Blake!" she finished, shifting her hand to point at the black haired one. Both gave small greetings when their names were called. Cal gave one back in return. _It's almost like their colors mirror their personality, now that I think about it. _

Suddenly, his vest started to vibrate. _The device that Ozpin gave me- the scroll. It must be that. _Quickly, Cal reached into his pockets and pulled out the device, pulling it towards his ear. On the line, a female voice said, "Your dormitory room has been prepared, Mr. Kestis. This scroll will act as the key to it, so please do not lose it. However, before you enter your room, please come to the office, as we have matters to discuss regarding your stay here."

And then, the woman hung up. Cal opened his mouth to respond, but the call had already ended. Feeling slightly off, the jedi pocketed the scroll and looked back to Team RWBY. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you soon," he said before exiting the dorm room and making his way towards the office.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, professor?" Cal asked as he entered the office. Ozpin glanced up at him before slightly smiling and gesturing for him to take a seat.

"Yes, of course. Take a seat please." Cal obliged, and sat down on the chair next to the headmaster's desk. "Now, just before you are introduced to your dormitory room, there are a few steps we need to get through. First and foremost, while we- meaning the beacon staff- are definitely confident in your abilities, as you have demonstrated them during the Breach, for the sake of a few formalities, we need you to be tested in a way that demonstrates your skills in a public manner. While it would be convenient to simply skip it all together, Beacon is considered as a prestigious academy, and we need to give a proper demonstration of your abilities to Vale's council, seeing as your circumstances are rather peculiar. Is this acceptable to you?" said Ozpin.

Cal nodded. For now, he couldn't see anything that could pose a major problem to his life in Remnant, so he was more than willing to take a controlled challenge created by the administration. Ozpin smiled and thanked him before moving on.

"Next, is the matter of Aura. As you took the time to read in the library, you would most likely already know about Aura, yes?" asked the headmaster. Cal nodded, before suddenly perking up.

"Wait, how do you know I went to the library?"

"Beacon is a heavily monitored area, Mr. Kestis. For an extra precaution, a few staff members reported your behavior back to me, just in case assistance was needed." Ozpin deadpanned. Cal thinned his lips. Although he didn't quite like it, it wasn't something that he couldn't live with all together.

"Now, continuing on, from your medical records, you seem to be in absence of an aura, but on the other hand, you also seem to possess a similar residual energy in your body. However, just for extra precautions, we would like to see if we can unlock a dormant aura within your body- If you possess one, of course"

From what Cal had learnt, Aura was pretty much universally useful- it healed, it enhanced abilities, and it provided superhuman abilities. Thus, seeing no harm in trying, he slowly nodded his head, agreeing. _I wonder if there's really a connection between the Force and this Aura._

"Thank you, Mr. Kestis. Now if you would allow me, please stay calm and still. This shouldn't hurt at all." said Ozpin. Cal allowed himself a small smile. _Calm and still? Those used to be a jedi's specialties..._ Although he was never the best at meditation- he was more of a solve-your-problems-with-a-lightsaber type person- but his meditation skills were, to say the least, competently proficient. Closing his eyes, Cal felt a touch on his forehead, as Ozpin put his hand towards his face. Cal hitched his breath for a brief moment, waiting for something to happen-

And then, it ended. There was no feeling there, no special _ping_ sound, no flash of light. It left the jedi slightly disappointed, although he had expected such a thing to happen. Feeling the urge to sigh slightly, he opened his eyes, only to be shocked by the sight of a wide eyed Ozpin. The beacon headmaster was breathing heavily, his hand still on Cal's forehead. Carefully, the jedi reached up and brought it away.

"Um, professor?" asked Cal. Ozpin took a moment to calm down before proceeding.

"First of all, my suspicions seem to be true- you do not possess aura in any form or manner, at least, not the types of aura we are used to." Ozpin stated. Cal perked up slightly. "However, you possess a whole different power all together. It seems to be directly related to Aura, as its core signatures are congruent. However, whatever this is, it's much more _raw_, much more _ancient_ than what Aura is."

Cal slightly tensed. "And what does that make me, professor? What does it mean?" he asked with a slight tone of suspicion.

Ozpin looked at him dead seriously. "It means, Mr. Kestis, that you are a wild card. Your abilities- whatever they are- may be something unique to yourself, and _only_ yourself in remnant. Your arrival here is a shift in the fates." the headmaster sighed before sipping on a cup of coffee. "I apologize for making my words so obscure. While I do hope that the full truth will be revealed to you one day, at the moment, this is the best piece of information I can give you."

Cal simply nodded, understanding. The jedi order had also forbidden access to information regarding the Sith Arts to anyone they didn't deem qualified, and for good reason. There was definitely something hiding behind the mask called Ozpin, but Cal felt more confident than ever that whatever Ozpin was hiding- he was hiding for a good reason.

"Is there anything more to add, professor?" Cal asked.

Ozpin perked up. "One last thing before you go, Mr. Kestis. As you know, Beacon- despite studying many courses- is still at heart, a combat institution meant to train hunters and huntresses. That means that there will be numerous combat classes during your week. However, seeing as your weapon currently seems to be hot enough to completely slice through the steel that conventional weapons are made out of, you will have to switch it to something else during combat class." Ozpin said. Cal frowned, about to protest, until Ozpin reassured him, putting a hand up in the air and saying, "You will still be able to use your saber on missions and other purposes. But for the sake out our students' budgets, this will have to be a nessecary compromise."

Cal briefly thought about it. _To be fair, I'm probably overreacting. It isn't like they're going to take it away or anything._ After his lightsaber had burst in Dagobah, he had gotten oddly protective over it. Finally, the jedi finally nodded. "Is that all, professor Ozpin?" he asked, getting ready to walk out. However, Ozpin stopped him by raising his voice.

"One last question, Mr. Kestis. Just out of curiosity, regarding your special situation with your aura... If I am not mistaken, you were already aware of this, yes?" Ozpin asked, a slightly coy smile on his face._ There's some exterior motive behind this. Maybe to find how proficient I am with my abilities? A test, perhaps? Or something to catch me off guard? I can't be sure..._

Finally deciding that there wasn't any severe harm in telling the truth, Cal finally replied, "Yes." before exiting the headmaster's office. However, much to his surprise, the blonde lady- who had presumably called him- followed him into the elevator, waiting until the elevator doors closed before she spoke.

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch, headmistress of Beacon Academy. Just this once, I will be accompanying you to your room. Since a school map has been installed inside your scroll for easy accessibility in the future, you should have no problems, but since this is your first time, I will be leading you to prevent any unwarranted things from happening." said the blonde woman. _Seems like a reasonable expression. And the aura I'm getting from her is honest, although a little stern. _

"Thank you." Cal replied. The two- student and teacher- stood in a comfortable silence for the elevator ride, an added benefit from the formalities they had both aqquainted themselves with. Cal from the jedi, and Goodwitch from- wherever she had went for her education.

As the teacher led Cal towards his dormitory room at a brisk pace, Cal took the time to familiarize himself with the parts of the academy. Now that he paid attention- since such a thing was rather hard when getting dragged around by a powerhouse of a blonde- the academy truly looked prestigious. Wide halls, long staircases, elegant decorations- it felt awfully nostalgic of the jedi temple in Coruscant, especially with the high number of hunters and huntresses in training.

Finally, the jedi reached his dorm room, and the professor gave him a curt bow before walking away. Cal returned on in response. _Extremely professional. Although it may not be my thing, I can definitely respect that. _Before all others, the woman gave off the aura of a mentor, or a teacher. Ozpin on the other hand... Ozpin was something he couldn't figure out. _A strategist, a wisecracker, an investigator, a professor, but most of all, a man filled with huge amounts of objective power. _Which of those theories was correct- Cal couldn't discern for himself based on what he knew about the eccentric headmaster of Beacon. _Well, I can certainly respect someone like him. _However, trust? That was harder to gain.

Cal opened the door room, putting his scroll to his doorknob and swinging the door open. Instantly, he was taken on a nostalgia trip once more to Coruscant, from the simple, colorless design of the dormitory room. The room was indeed simple, with nothing decorating it, although it was odd to be the sole occupant of a 4 person room. _I guess that's my fault for coming here like this. _He looked around the room briefly, taking in his surroundings, before the jedi stopped.

_Something's here. The force- it calls out to it. _The jedi reached out to the force, feeling it to find what it was guiding him towards. Then- he saw it. A blue light emitting within the vast sea of energy.

_A force echo_. Something that people like him- people with the power to read the past of objects- could use to gain knowledge. The echo was in the form of something small- coming from inside a shelf. He quickly walked towards it and opened it, to find his target. It was an silver amulet, made out of a matte metal, with an intricate rose emblem etched upon its surface. _It looks elegant- beautiful, even. Who left something like this here? _Cal wondered.

But that didn't matter for now. His curiosity got the better of him, and he reached out to the force once more, delving deep into the amulet's history, its core, its _force._

Immediately, the jedi jerked backwards in surprise, his eyes flying wide open. He gazed at the amulet for a brief second in wonder. Somehow, the force had rejected his ability- whatever this artifact was, he couldn't read it. It was like there was some kind of _barrier_ preventing him from reaching out to it. The jedi momentarily stood still in shock from the events that had just transpired. For the first time in his entire life, his ability had failed him.

_Is this limited to just this echo? Or has my power left me entirely? _To test the theory, he quickly grabbed a pillow and reached out with the force. Sure enough, he could see its history. The manufacturing process, the transportation, and everything else. _So its just this amulet that rejects my ability? I'm not sure whether to be curious or nervous._

Biting his lip, the young jedi pocketed the amulet in his vest, wondering of what was to come.

And then, suddenly, his scroll rung once, giving a small _beep. _Cal took out the small device and unlocked it, finding a notification with a message from the headmaster.

**Topic: Initiation**

**Dear Mr. Kestis,**

**We shall now inform you regarding your initiation. Obviously, because of your unique circumstances when entering Beacon, your initiation was something to be debated upon. While we couldn't use the classic testing process due to yourself having already proven your skill against minor grimm, and the design that specifically structured it in favor of cooperation and team building. Thus, we have designed a new initiation process for you, and it will go like this:**

**Today at 9 P.M, seeing as you have already seemingly regained most of your vitality, you will enter the Beacon Combat arena. You will be able to locate it through your scroll. By then, we will have prepared a makeshift weapon for you that will suit your needs in combat- judging by the measurements of your preferred weapon, of course- and the initiation will begin.**

**To balance it to a sufficient degree, you will be fighting one medium level grimm that will be decided on random, and 3 first year Beacon students out of the following list:**

**Cardin Winchester**

**Nora Valkyrie**

**Yang Xiao Long**

**Weiss Schnee**

**Russel Thrush**

**Lie Ren**

**All of the following students have been contacted in advance, and have approved of their personal listings.**

**Finally, in Beacon Academy, fights will rely heavily on Aura, and normally, it is the deciding factor of winning or losing. Since you do not possess it, we have shifted the rules in any combat skirmish you participate in.**

**While the rules are similar in the sense that opponents will be eliminated when the aura goes into the red, you will be eliminated when:**

**1\. You have been pinned, or rendered immobile**

**2\. You have suffered a serious injury**

**3\. You have yielded to the opponent**

**Please contact me personally if you find any problems with the rules set above.**

**Good luck,**

**Professor Ozpin**

Cal finished reading the lengthy message, taking it all in at once. _So, it looks like when it comes to the rules of combat, the odds are rather stacked against me. Although I can't argue that they did the best they could. Hmm, I see some familiar names in that student list. Yang seems like a reasonable opponent. She's definitely strong, although I can't determine anything else. However, her strength alone puts her as a danger during combat. Weiss... That was the white haired girl. From what it seems, she looks to be a more technical fighter judging from her personality. Book smart, strategic, and coordinated. Although I might be wrong, that puts her as a possible danger as well._

He looked at the clock. It was 6 P.M at the present moment. That meant he had time to explore the school a bit more, and possibly study in the library. He opened his door room and-

"CAL!? OHMYGOSH WE'RE NEIGHBOURS!" yelled a familiar red reaper. She had apparently been passing by when he had almost slammed her face with his dormitory door. Then, with alarming speed, she turned her head towards her own room, before looking back at him. "Well actually now that I look at it, JNPR's dorm is right between us." the girl pointed out, still looking enthusiastic. "Oh, right! I need to introduce you to JNPR! FOLLOW ME!"

The jedi briefly contemplated his choices, before finally deciding to follow the girl with a shrug. _I guess I'm not studying in the library anymore._

* * *

**Notes**

**I wanted to extend the chapter longer haha, but that's it for now since I need to get a little pace going.**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer: I don't own anything_**

**_Chapter 3_**

* * *

Team JNPR were an odd bunch, and Cal Kestis knew just from sensing their presences in the force. All of them gave off extremely unique auras, possibly even more so than team RWBY. Immediately, the first one he could sense belonged to a blonde boy in the corner of the room, just because of the sheer _size_ of it. The boy had a rather sheepish, innocent look on his face, but _by the force_ his aura capacity was kriffing huge. It- by far- outclassed the aura of any beacon student he had encountered during his stay in the academy, and Cal silently wondered if the boy could qualify as a jedi.

_No. Aura is different from force, remember. _Cal silently reminded himself. While the two forces gave off similar energy signatures, they were hugely different where it mattered. Aura was an internal energy, something that every living soul had- similar to the force. However, Aura didn't manifest itself like the force did, flowing around every single little thing in the world. The force was more widespread, more external, while Aura felt like a power coming from a person's soul.

The next signature he noticed came from a girl with short orange hair, who had an infectious smile on her face. Cal had been surprised by the size of the aura of the boy earlier, but somehow, the way that the girl _radiated _her energy was even more astonishing. Similar to Yang in some ways, her aura- her presence- was unrestrained, similar to the raging energy of a thunderstorm.

The next aura signature was impressive, but surprised Cal much less than the two preceding presences. Coming from a girl in spartan armor, it was reasonably large in size, and radiated with controlled pulses. Her energy was definitely powerful for sure, but her control was similarly extremely impressive. It reminded the jedi of a razor sharp blade, cutting through the air in perfect strokes. Focused, powerful, and deadly.

However, no presence surprised the jedi as much as the final figure in the room. It was a boy in traditional clothes, and a pink streak in his hair. While the other three auras were powerful in their own right, the boy's presence could be only be described by one word: _Control. _Somehow, the boy had almost nearly masked his presence in the force, with his aura enveloping him like a dim glow. If the spartan girl's aura was a sword cleaving through the air, this boy's aura reminded Cal of an arrow, or a sniper rifle. _Complete control, with perfect accuracy and focus. This boy could possibly be the most deadly of them all. _Unlike the others, he seemed to be aware of how much power the _unknown_ could carry.

For sure, these 4 an interesting group of people.

"Guys, this is Cal! He's the guy with the laser sword I told you about!" Ruby yelled enthusiastically. All four faces turned towards him, and for a brief moment, the jedi felt uncomfortable. However, the feeling was thankfully short-lived, as the spartan girl was the first to offer a friendly greeting. She raised her arm towards him and waved, with an instant smile on her face. Cal slightly smiled, and greeted her back in return.

Ruby then carried out the exact same procedure she had used to introduce her own team, pointing at the team's members one by one. First, she pointed at the blond boy, saying, "That's Jaune! He's suuuper nice, even if he does need a little help in combat class!"

"Oi!" The boy- Jaune- protested. Ruby flushed and offered an apologetic smile in return.

"He's improving though!" she added finally, earning both a sheepish and friendly chuckle from the taller male. Cal chuckled himself, slightly amused at the banter between the two. _It feels good to just relax like this. _He immediately thought, instantly feeling a wave of guilt afterwards.

_I don't deserve this._

He was nothing but a jigsaw piece. He wasn't the jedi to change the future of the world, neither was he some chosen hero filled with good deeds and intentions, so _why him_? Once again, the force refused to answer. Cal bit his lip, his mood turning bitter.

"Uh, you ok?" a voice interrupted. Cal snapped out of his internal musings to find a concerned looking Team JNPR, the blond boy looking especially sheepish with a hand held out for a handshake. "Uh, sorry. You just looked really bummed out there for a second, and-"

Cal cut his sentence short by shaking his hand with a firm grip. "Sorry about that. Just musing over the past for a second, no need to worry about me." he said. _It's... almost touching to have people this concerned for a stranger, especially a jedi like me. _Such a sight was sadly rare in the times of the clone wars and the empire. _If there's anything I'm sure of, it's that the people in Remnant are compassionate._

Just as he expected, guilt threatened to flood him once more, but the jedi cut it off instantly. _I can't do anything about what's already happened. These people... This place is affecting me in ways I never expected... But the best thing I can do- the only thing I can do right now, is to stay strong and carry on. _He could only hope that that was enough for now. The force truly worked in the strangest of ways.

Just like always, Ruby was the one to bring back the good mood. "Weeell, now that that's done, I need to introduce the rest of Team JNPR!" she yelled, earning a smile from the room's inhabitants. She pointed towards the spartan girl, and in the blink of an eye, the reaper was standing shoulder to shoulder with the redhead, a cheeky smile plastered on her face. "This is Pyrrha! She's super nice too, and the strongest fighter in Beacon!" she yelled. For a brief moment, the red haired girl- Pyrrha- had a gaze that was a strange mixture of curiosity, fear, and nervousness. Cal had no idea why.

It washed away just as quick as it appeared, however, and Cal decided not to question it. In place of said expression, an almost relieved smile appeared on Pyrrha's face instead. "Salutations, Cal. It's wonderful to meet you." she said. Cal smiled. The girl had a natural mixture of manners and friendliness, that made her extremely easy to approach. It was a refreshing stance to see, after he had experienced the polar opposite personalities of Ruby and her partner Weiss. _Although, it's interesting that she's the best fighter in her year. What are the chances that I would have ended up with such a talented group of people? It's truly strange._

"Aaand finally, that's Ren and Nora! They can be a bit quirky sometimes, but they're suuper cool once you get to know them!" Ruby exclaimed. Cal turned his head towards the two people in question, receiving two polar opposite responses. Nora put on a friendly- yet slightly animalistic grin, waving her hand in an almost comical manner. Meanwhile, Ren simply put on a slight, respectful smile, and offered a curt bow. Cal simply waved at the two in response.

"My name is Cal Kestis. Nice to meet you all-" said Cal, when his vest suddenly started to vibrate again. _The weapon_. The jedi bit his lip momentarily, before finally standing up respectfully and offering a bow. "Sorry to cut this so short, but I need to be somewhere at the moment. If I'm not wrong, there's a weapon for me to collect."

"Ooooh! Can I follow you!?" Ruby pleaded. Cal briefly contemplated the idea, before finally chuckling and nodding.

"Fine, just try not to erm... Actually, never mind." he said.

He heard the blond boy's- Jaune's- voice yell, "Bye!" as he closed the door to JNPR's dorm room.

_This really is a nice place._

* * *

Cal looked over the newly made weapon, slowly turning the sword over in his hands. _Ozpin did a damn good job_, he admitted. The sword's balance- while not completely like a lightsaber, was damn similar to one, and Cal found it much better than the vibroblade that he had scrapped off his days as an exile. It would never replace Jaro Tapal's lightsaber, but it could definitely serve as a suitable replacement for it. It was a simple, yet effective weapon- with a silver, cylindrical hilt and a leather grip, coupled along with an extremely thin blade that had a shining cobalt hue. The blade segment almost looked similar to that of a rapier, due to its tiny width. It was also noting that it almost _felt_ like one, due to the fact that the blade was extremely lightweight- Cal estimated that it was only half the weight of the hilt of the sword.

It was simple, unlike the weapons of most of the people he had met here, but he could definitely use it. Ozpin had seemingly specifically balanced it so that he could apply his lightsaber forms to his fighting style. Silently, he thanked the headmaster, briefly flooding his feelings with gratitude- instead of the lingering distrust that had been seeded earlier.

Now, it was time to put the new weapon to the test. Cautiously, Cal gave the sword a few swings, starting out by testing simple moves with the initial Shii-Cho technique. A horizontal swipe, a spinning twirl. It swished through the air with ease, encouraging the jedi to further his experiments. Enhancing his physical abilities further using the force, Cal began to execute a more advanced kata- this one being from his more preferred form, Ataru. It involved a series of spinning attacks that utilized unpredictable and agile slashes to overwhelm an opponent.

Once again, Ozpin's newly made sword didn't disappoint, and the air gave no resistance when the move was performed. _That's definitely a good sign. I guess the speed is slightly slower, but that's just something I'll have to deal with. __And besides, I'm probably not going to have to fight with my all here. _While the beacon students were good for sure, Cal was a jedi, and wasn't a pushover either. _At the very least, I doubt that Aura can provide the same effect as the force. Maybe the two have some similarities, but judging from what I've read, the force is much more versatile, and has more raw power, albeit less specialized._ That gave him a tactical edge in a combat scenario. While there was a chance that the beacon students had mastered their semblances far further than his own proficiency in the force, it left one flaw in their strategy: _They were one trick ponies. _That gave Cal a huge edge, especially seeing as the force could be used for minor precognition.

_Although, that Yang girl might pose a problem. She was inhumanely strong earlier, although I wonder how well that would translate over towards her actual skill in battle. _One thing for sure though, he would _not_ want to be hit by her during the initiation. Unlike Aura, the force was only a protective barrier when he put a strain on it, and he didn't trust himself to create a barrier around himself like that fast enough to deflect any serious attacks.

Thankfully however, the sword held up to his standards. It was seriously the next best thing to a lightsaber that he could obtain with current technology.

The jedi's moment of peace was interrupted when the forge's door finally slammed open, with an even-more-excited-than-usual Ruby Rose. He had told her to stay put while he had inspected the weapon, but judging by the slightly pout-ish look on her face, she wasn't able to stay patient. Cal slightly chuckled at the younger girl's enthusiasm. Once again, the diversity of personalities was truly something refreshing.

"Can I PLEASE see it now!?" Ruby exclaimed, rushing forwards towards Cal at a breakneck speed. Cal slightly stepped back as the weapon in his hand was suddenly snatched from him, falling into the hands of a devious red reaper. Despite the fact that the simple blade was relatively uninteresting compared to the lightsaber or Remnant's mechashift weapons, the young girl glossed over it all the same.

"Gosh, it's so light! It might even be lighter than Crescent Rose!" Ruby tossed and turned the weapon in her hands, her eyes sparkling with a childlike excitement. When she gave it back to Cal, she had a firm smile on her face. "It's super light, but well balanced! The weight distribution is a bit weird and unconventional, but that's probably because you were using a laser sword earlier, and you're used to it. It's simple, but extra sharp, and you could probably take out _loads_ of aura if you give it the right momentum! Although it doesn't have a gun, it's really impressive!"

Although the last part was slightly questionable, Cal astounded at how much the young girl figured out about the weapon just from a glance and a few seconds of tossing and turning. Sure, the information wasn't anything groundbreaking, but the speed in which she figured it out was truly something to behold.

He suspected that with enough training, Ruby Rose would turn into an quite an opponent.

_Cal, knowing your opponent is key to a fight. Remember- the real world doesn't work like movies and cartoons. The outcome of every fight is decided before the fight begins._ Cal repeated his masters words once more to himself, smiling slightly at the memory.

Regardless, he needed his weapon back for the time being. After all, despite Ozpin's efforts, there was still a noticable weight difference between the sword and his lightsaber. He would need time to practice for him to adjust with the sword. So, Cal sheepishly held out his hand towards the younger girl, raising a single eyebrow.

"Ruby?" Cal asked, prompting a response from the reaper. "Could I have it back now please?"

Cal watched in amusement as the young huntress-in-training flushed in slight embarrassment before handing the sword back to its owner.

* * *

Form IV- Ataru, was an extremely tiring form of lightsaber fighting, and Cal quite literally _felt_ the strain involved when he used his newer weapon. Ataru was a physically demanding style even with a weightless blade like a lightsaber. With an actual weapon, the strain on his body multiplied tenfold.

Swinging his sword he could do, along with most of the basic katas. But the problem was, he couldn't pull off anything _beyond_ those moves in sustained combat. Despite its highly offensive way of fighting, the matter of fact was that Ataru as a style left lots of openings. It was a hyper-offensive fighting style that relied on unpredictable, acrobatic moves that left gaping openings but struck the opponent with such speed and strength that the opponent would not be able to exploit any of them. Of course, there was also the aspect of unpredictability, but at the moment, Cal didn't see it becoming a problem.

Either way, his new weapon was going to be a problem. He was confident that he could make it through initiation, but against say- another force user? If he used this sword, he was screwed, and that was way too close for comfort. _I need to grow stronger._

But for now, he would need to play Ozpin's game. As Cal finished up an advanced kata, he felt the scroll in his vest ring once more, and knew that it was time.

Time for initiation.

* * *

_To be fair, _Cal thought, _this is actually a pleasant surprise._

The Beacon Arena was indeed- perfect for the acrobatic movements that his fighting style specialized on. The giant Colosseum was predominantly wide, and flat. _I can definitely work with this, _Cal immediately told himself. _But, I still should be wary of my opponents. I can't let my guard down._

This was an arena where he was an unknown- but more importantly, so was _everybody else. _It was a fight where a single mistake could instantly decide fates- similar to a lightsaber battle. Cal's opponents most likely had no idea of how he fought, but it worked the same way vice versa. He had both a huge advantage and a disadvantage.

Cal steeled himself, preparing for the fight by briefly flexing his arms and legs while he steadily stepped towards his 'starting ground.' Upwards, there was an extremely large holographic screen that displayed a list of names. _The names from Ozpin's letter._

And then, initiation started.

"Students, you may be wondering why I called you here today." Ozpin's voice boomed. "At least, the ones that showed up, seeing as the attendance was strictly optional." the headmaster added with a slight chuckle at the end. "Anyways, I have invited you here today because for the first time in years, Beacon Academy will potentially be hosting an exchange student, from _outside the kingdoms._" At this, a large number of students gasped. Cal heard nothing but mumbles and whispers, but it was obvious that there was talk.

"For the record, this student has already proven his combat prowess during the Breach. However, despite this, formalities must ensue for both yourselves and the Vale council. So, today, Mr. Cal Kestis will be fighting a medium level grimm, along with a few randomly selected students among his age group." Ozpin said. Once again, the crowd gasped.

"Of course, he isn't expected to win these fights. After all, this is both an initiation of skill, and one of endurance as well. We will not only be judging how strong he is, but how long he can hold out. Thus, the Beacon staff team have deemed this level of... Challenge, as the best possible option." Ozpin explained. "But anyways, I think you are all getting tired of all this talking. Students, let this initiation be a lesson, no matter how Mr. Kestis performs. Now, if Professor Port shall do the honors...?"

A new voice boomed. "Of course, thank you Headmaster! Now, the medium level Grimm that Mr. Kestis will be facing off against..." 'Professor Port' said, as Cal got into stance and raised his new weapon, "Is none other than a Boarbatusk!"

_Boarbatusk... I should have read about that one... What was it again?_

Cal gripped his sword tighter. Somehow, he was confident in his ability to win, and yet he was unsure about the fight that would ensue. _The torture of not knowing things..._ As a jedi who had to rely on practically _nothing_ but wits and intelligence to survive, Cal suddenly felt stripped from his armor. _Just like when I fought the second sister... This is an unknown._

Well, at the very least, he had his constant precognition, even if it was extremely limited. Maximum, it would only help in predicting completely unpredictable attacks and movements, but it still gave a sense of comfort. _Knowledge is power here._

In that instance, the cage door in front of him slid open, and a large monster charged him. Just like the name implied, it was a grimm with very noticable tusks that were most likely its primary offensive limb. _Good. At the very least, this thing looks extremely telegraphed..._ and for a jedi like him, facing a single opponent like this was next to nothing.

Cal leaped out of the way as the boarbatusk charged him, using the force to amplify his jumps as the large beast charged forwards. Cal couldn't help but notably grin at the fact that the monster was completely unable to change its trajectory. That meant that he would be able to bait and exploit its weaknesses.

All he needed to do was to wait for the beast to charge once more, and stab it.

Cal quickly jumped backwards, distancing himself from him and his opponent. This way, the grimm would have a cut clear path for him to exploit. And just as he had expected, the monster charged towards him at blazing speeds, its eyes set on its target.

And then- it turned into a ball.

Cal's eyes widened as the grimm suddenly transmorphed into a spherical projectile, increasing its speed by tenfold. Once again, the jedi lept to the side- this time with much more urgency- as the grimm rolled past him, crashing into an arena wall. Cal took the chance and repositioned himself, once again creating distance from him and the grimm.

_Dammit Ozpin, _Cal mused in frustration. There was only one strategy that he could think of on the fly that would enable him to defeat the grimm without revealing all of his abilities with the force along, and _even then_, he would have to give away at least _one_ of his abilities to the entire student population. It would kill the mystery that gave him a tactical edge.

But if Cal was going to reveal one of his abilities, he would reveal the one that the beacon staff most likely already _knew_ about. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of victory. _Not until I find out what exactly Ozpin wants from this entire endeavor._

As the grimm approached once more, Cal sighed and stretched his hand forwards, not bothering to move. Inwards, he felt his connection to the force, and called on it to manifest in the physical world. _Just like last time._

And instantly, time slowed down for the grimm. So much so that time practically _stopped _altogether.

_Huh, now that I look at it, it isn't a complete ball. _Instead, the grimm had merely overstretched its body and curved up. _What an odd breed of monster, _Cal mused. _Hmm, I can't pierce the armor, but there has to be a bit of open flesh somewhere in the grimm, right! Oh, a-ha!"_

Cal smiled in triumph as a chunk of open skin revealed itself in the grimm's stomach. The jedi simply walked up to the beast and stabbed it, allowing himself a moment of satisfaction as his time freeze was undone and his opponent dropped onto the ground, dead.

"And the grimm is dead! Well done, Mr. Kestis!" Port's voice boomed once more, making Cal jump back in surprise. This was seriously starting to give him deja-vu from when he was captured and thrown into an arena. _Although I do suppose the company is much better this time around._

That bounty hunter had seriously been an ass.

"Now, the first of the three students that Mr. Kestis will be facing is...!" On queue, the screen shifted into a spinner and starting to twirl around.

"Russel Thrush!"

* * *

**Notes**

**Nothing much to say this time around. :|**

**Just a few questions though...**

**1\. Do you guys want a pairing? Personally, I'm fine with either option, but just like my other story, any romance subplot will be minimal and well... Just a sub-plot.**

**2\. Do you want the interactions to be focused more on RWBY, or JNPR? Do you want any other 'sideline' characters to be more involved in the story as well? (Ex: Velvet, Winter, Taiyang, Goodwitch, Tukson...)**

**3\. Overall, what direction do you want this story to go? (Focus on characters or lore?)**

**And finally, to answer a few reviewer questions/concerns...**

**1\. Why was Cal encased in carbonite?  
**

**I know the thing was weird, but just... Wait for a while lmao. It isn't just an asspull, there's a very specific reason that specific method was used.**

**2\. What reason does Cal have to join Beacon?**

**This one's a bit of an asspull, but let me just emphasize this. Cal is a stranger to this world, and so far his only experience of it is people getting attacked by hordes of monsters. The inner jedi in him would obviously want to protect them, and since Ozpin offers him an obvious chance to do that, he would see it as the most logical progression.**


End file.
